Frank Stack

Frank Huntington Stack, who left us on April 15, 2026, was a quiet force of imagination who turned the ordinary into the extraordinary. Born on October 31, 1937, he grew up in a small town where the church steeples were as tall as his dreams. From a young age, Frank would sit on the back porch with a sketchbook, drawing tiny scenes that would later blossom into some of the most daring underground comics of the 1960s. Under the pseudonym Foolbert Sturgeon, he slipped his first work, *The Adventures of Jesus*, into the world in 1964, a daring act that earned him both admiration and the wary eyes of the Bible Belt. He taught himself the delicate art of etching and lithography, mastering the techniques of Gustave Doré and Roy Crane, while always keeping a playful edge that made his prints feel like secret messages in plain sight. Family was the heart of Frank’s life. He married his college sweetheart, Maria, in 1960, and together they raised two children, Ethan and Lila, who learned early that love and humor could coexist even in the most controversial of art. Even on the busiest days, Frank would return home to a warm kitchen, the scent of his famous apple pie mingling with the smell of fresh ink. He was a devoted father, always ready with a joke or a gentle nudge to convince Ethan that a career in science was fine so long as he never forgot to doodle in the margins. Lila, now a graphic designer, swears she still hears her father's voice in the loops and swirls she creates. Frank’s home was a living gallery, walls lined with his prints, a testament to his belief that art should be accessible and alive. What brought Frank joy was the simple act of creation. He would spend hours in his workshop, a dim room lit by a single lamp, pencils scratching across paper, his mind humming with biblical tales and psychedelic imagery. He loved nothing more than a quiet evening with a glass of whiskey, a roll of fresh paper, and the rhythm of his own thoughts. Friends often joked that he could find a story in a raindrop, and he could always be found sketching the faces of strangers at the grocery store, turning mundane moments into hidden masterpieces. He was a mentor to countless young artists, offering guidance with a humble smile, insisting that the world needed more truth and more wonder. Frank’s impact extends far beyond the lines he drew. He gave voice to the voiceless, challenged the status quo, and reminded us that art can be both rebellion and tenderness. His legacy lives in the galleries that display his prints, in the classrooms where students learn the craft of etching, and in the hearts of those who were touched by his fearless honesty. He taught us that humor can coexist with gravity, that a simple sketch can spark a revolution. As we say goodbye, we carry forward his spirit of curiosity, his unwavering love for family, and the knowledge that, like his drawings, his memory will continue to echo through the ages.